Other News

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Zoo Boise has taken some additional security measures after a break-in that led to the beating death of a monkey.

The city's Parks and Recreation Department confirmed to KTVB-TV that Zoo Boise added razor wire to some parts of the fence around the attraction.

Passengers at the Boise airport are now clear to board their planes. Much of the airport shut down for two hours Tuesday afternoon because of what Boise Police and TSA officials are calling a “credible threat.”

The threat centered on the food court area, which was evacuated. The security checkpoint into the terminal was closed and boarding was halted. Planes that had already been boarded were allowed to take off.

Idaho's top policeman is stepping down in January. Col. Jerry Russell of the Idaho State Police will leave Jan. 18.

The announcement came Monday from Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter who says he regrets losing Russell, but says he leaves behind him a "strong bench."

Russell has a long history of law enforcement work in the region. He worked for more than a quarter-century for the Oregon State Police.

He's a Boise State graduate. He's also one of the key people on a little project known as Curiosity.

Dan Isla is an electrical systems engineer with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.  He helped assemble and launch NASA's Mars Rover. Now that it’s on the red planet, he helps operate the rover and put it through its paces. 

We originally talked with Isla last year, before the rover landed on Mars.  In this update, he tells Samantha Wright that was the highlight of his life, so far.

During a one-night count in 2010, the Department of Housing and Urban Development found more than 76,000 veterans were homeless in the U-S.  For more than 20 years, the Veterans Administration and volunteers have tried to combat this problem with special events called Stand Downs.  Held all over the country, Stand Downs offer food, clothes, medical care, and a helping hand to veterans struggling on the street.  The Boise VA holds its annual Stand Down Saturday.

Northwest voters have mixed views when it comes to legalizing marijuana. Oregon voters rejected an attempt to allow people to smoke and grow pot. But Washington voters approved a more limited legalization initiative.

A police standoff in Meridian Monday ended with the apparent suicide of the suspect. Meridian police came to arrest a man on felony drug charges Monday morning. Police say he pointed a shotgun at them then hid in his garage. Officers began negotiating with the suspect at noon. At about 3:40 he apparently turned a gun on himself. The man has not been identified, he's only been described as a 33 year old white male.

The hunt for a mountain lion in Garden City this morning ended unsuccessfully. Idaho Fish and Game led the hunt. Officials searched for the animal along both sides of the Boise River from Eagle Road to Les Bois Park. Hound dogs were used to get the scent of the lion, but no sign of the animal was traced.